


The Gallant Sir Everett

by HandwithQuill



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-11 01:23:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2047911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HandwithQuill/pseuds/HandwithQuill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Round 2 fic for the Rumbelle Showdown. Prompt was: Relaxation, Masked Highwayman, Happier Times</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gallant Sir Everett

**Author's Note:**

> I did it backwards in that the italics are the present and the flashback is in normal type.

_Belle moaned as the heat from the water seeped into her muscles. She leaned back in the tub, snuggling against Rumpelstiltskin chest. His arms came around her, one laid over her waits, the other lazily ran a washcloth over her shoulders. She sighed deeply, relaxing against him even more. Her movements causing the steam in the room to swirl around._

_He traded the washcloth for cupped hands of water to wash away the suds when she giggled. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him dip his head to look at her._

_“And just what's so amusing?” His hands came down to tickle her side, even as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. She grabbed his hands, lace her fingers in his and held them against her chest._

_“I was just thinking back to the last time we bathed together.” She peeked up at him. He was frowning._

_“We never-” He stopped, eyes widening and a smirk appearing on his lips as he realized what she meant. “Are you, perhaps, referring to the Gallant Sir Everett.”_

_“Uh-huh. One of the few time you let me help you with one of your deals._

** ** ** 

“I still don't know what you are trying to achieve.” Belle looked down at the outfit Rumpelstiltskin had dressed her in. It was the first time she had ever worn trousers. She liked the ease in which she could move in them. The red bodice was cinched tightly, she looked down as saw her...assets prominently on display. She tugged the piece of linen that was attached to the inside a little higher, before collecting her hair and pulling the hood up over her head and down over her face.

“There have been rumors of highwayman along this stretch of road for a few weeks now.”

“Rumors you started.”

“Immaterial.” He fluttered his hand. “Anyway, the Gallant Sir Everett has a few particularly hard to find potion ingredients in his possession.” 

“Why don't you deal with him the way you do everybody else?”

He turned to her on his heels, eyes wide, hand pressed to his chest. “Do you dare suggest the that the Gallant Sir Everett would ever be so low at to deal with the Dark One? How dare you insult the Gallant Sir Everett so.”

She rolled her eyes at his mocking. “You don't have to keep calling him Gallant Sir Everett.”

He smirked at her. “You'll see, dearie, you'll see. When he gets off his horse, herd him that way, towards the nest, but don't get too close yourself.”

“What are they again?” The nest didn't look like any bee or wasps nest she knew of. The cloud swarming around the nest was large and their buzzing sounded angrier then normal bees. 

“They are called Quelbees. In their home realm, they are known for their viciousness, but also their very keen sense of smell. The best-” He stopped, eyes going vacant as he looked down the road. “Showtime, dearie.” He shooed her off behind the tree before disappearing in a puff of purple smoke. 

She leaned back against the trunk and fiddled with the mask, making sure it covered her face and that her hair fell to the side of her neck, like Rumple told her. As she heard the approach of a horse, she breathed deeply and griped her sword tightly. When the horse was just about even to her, it stopped.

“I am the Gallant Sir Everett!” a voice called, “I challenge the bandit of these woods to a duel!” She heard the creak of leather as he dismounted. “Are you too much of a coward to face the Gallant Sir Everett!”

She stepped out from behind the tree as he passed, sword extended. “No, not really.” He spun around to face her. She smiled at him. “Anything of value, please.”

His jaw dropped, eyes darting up and down her form, then back up, “But you're-” He stopped shook his head and stood straighter. “M'Lady,” He bowed to her. “I, the Gallant Sir Everett, am ever at your dispose. What ever circumstances has befallen upon you and led you to this unfortunate state of events, to be forced by the scoundrels of these woods to do-”

She raised the sword at him. “Stop taking.” 

“Of course, M'Lady. What ever you should wish. The Gallant Sir Everett will do whatev-”

“That way.” She motioned with the sword and took a step forwards. He backed up. He stopped when the buzzing was loud and the bees seemed to know something was getting close to their nest. 

“Uh, M'Lady?”

“Valuables, or we go closer.”

“I have nothing, M'Lady.

“I don't think that's true.”

“The Gallant Sir Everett would never lie!” he sputtered. “The only thing I have is this.” He reached into his pouch and pulled out a box. She stepped back as a smell hit her. Through her watering eyes, she saw Rumple appeared behind him, nodding frantically. 

“All right. Put it down and you can go.” 

He put the box down and started back to his horse. Once mounted, he turned to her. 

“M'Lady, if you ever need help, The Gallant Sir Everett will be most happy to hel-” He cut off as his horse reared and took off.

“Thank you,” she said, turning around to see Rumpelstiltskin picking up the box. “He was getting tedious. And what's in there that smells so bad.”

“It's the Hungus Lard.” He opened the box and the stench got worse, but she saw a brown square, a blob of green, and a stick of lard. “the moss of Marellon isn't to pleasant either, but it's not as bad as the lard. Just need one more item.” He picked to lard out of the box and tossed it towards the nest. The bees scattered and he broke open the hive and retrieved a honeycomb. The honeycomb went into a jar and the lard back into the box, both vanished in a puff of smoke. “Now back to the castle, where you will wash me.”

“What!”

“You don't think I want to smell like Hungus Lard all day, do you? The solution to wash it off won't work if I do it.” 

A circle of his hand and the disappeared.

** ** ** ** 

_“You know, that solution as almost as bad as the lard.”_

_“And yet it was still an improvement.”_

_“Did I ever tell you how happy I was that you asked me to help you? Actually, those months with you in the castle were the happiest I've ever been.”_

_He hummed and kissed her temple. “Happier time at the Dark Castle, who would have thought.”_

_“Well,” she said, turning to face him, “Not The Gallant Sir Everett.”_

_She shrieked as he started to tickle her again before she caught him in a kiss, and the relaxed against each other._

**Author's Note:**

> the Quelbees and all the 'potion' ingredients are shamelessly stolen from Zork: the Grand Inquisitor.


End file.
